Family Time: Easy tips to include more whole grains in your child's diet

Tuesday

Aug 28, 2012 at 12:01 AMAug 28, 2012 at 10:38 AM

Click the link below for the weekly family rail, with food tips for kids, a review of "Hades" and more. Or check out these other links.

Tip of the Week

Parents want the best nutrition for their children, but there is often a struggle between making healthy choices and pleasing children's palates. Whole grains are critical for maintaining children's health, but research shows most kids are eating far less than is recommended. The good news is that there are plenty of creative ways to resolve this nutritional dilemma by incorporating whole grains into snacks and meals throughout the day.

1. Make it a whole grain breakfast. The morning may be the easiest time to begin integrating whole grains into your family's diets because many breakfast foods are available in whole grain options. Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals containing whole grains, including whole wheat cereal flakes, muesli and rolled oats. Choose whole grain bread for satisfying and tasty morning toast. Tip for parents of picky eaters: If your kids want a bit more sweetness with their whole grain breakfast, offer dried fruits to add to cereal and real fruit jam as a topping on toast.

2. Read labels. Foods labeled multi-grain, stone-ground, 100 percent wheat, cracked wheat, seven-grain or bran may not contain any whole grain. Tip for reading food labels: Check the label for fiber content. A product containing 10 to 19 percent of the daily recommended value of fiber is a good source of whole grains.

4. Add whole grains to your dinner plate with a side dish. Don't be afraid to get creative and have fun - add vegetables and seasoning to brown rice, quinoa or whole grain couscous for a tasty alternative to potato or pasta salad. The colorful creations make eating whole grain side dishes fun for kids of all ages. Tip for busy parents: Cook up extra rice, bulgur or barley when you have time and freeze it for use later as a quick side dish.

5. Set a good example. Say goodbye to the old food pyramid as the new diet recommendations from the USDA follow a circular icon known as MyPlate. Part of this change includes the recommendation that half of all the grains we eat should be whole grain. Kids will follow your lead; make sure that you eat whole grains often as part of your meals and snacks. Plus, research shows people who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases - so mom and dad can live healthier as well. Tip for learning more about MyPlate: If you're still unsure about the new USDA MyPlate guidelines,visit www.choosemyplate.gov for tips and tools.

- ARA

Family Screening Room

“ParaNorman”

Rated: PG

Length: 93 minutes

Synopsis: A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

Violence/scary rating: 3.5

Sexual-content rating: 1.5

Profanity rating: 1.5

Drugs/alcohol rating: 1.5

Family Time rating: 3.

(Ratings are judged on a five-point scale, with 5 being “bad for kids” and 1 being “fine for kids.”)

Book Report

“Hades” by Alexandra Adornetto

Ages: Young adult

Pages: 432

Synopsis: Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motor- cycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well. The story that Alexandra Adornetto built in her New York Times–bestselling debut, “Halo,” comes alive in action-packed and unexpected ways, as angels battle demons, and the power of love is put to the test. - Feiwel & Friends

Did You Know

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society say that teens and younger kids should not participate in boxing.

GateHouse News Service

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